INTRODUCING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR CONSULTANT #31 – Susannah McClintock

My belief that businesses should aim to achieve more than just profits took hold whilst I was living in India. I saw how all resources are valued and used to create businesses. I was particularly struck by the fact that nothing was wasted, everything was considered valuable – entrepreneurs would come to my house to ask to take away waste items from which they would then make a living. The idea that everything had value and could be put to use for both economic and environmental gain stuck with me.

Some years later when I escaped from the corporate world it was to work on government programmes supporting economic solutions to environmental issues. For the past 10 years I have been lucky enough to work supporting, investing in and launching businesses with environmental missions around clean energy and sustainability. I am a Charitable Board Trustee for a local social housing charity providing accommodation to vulnerable people. I love this socially positive part of my week and am hoping that the _SocialStarters programme will give me some time to reflect on how I can pursue more social missions in my day to day life and in my work.

I am passionate about business models which aim to maximise the use of funds and resources to create sustainable enterprises that achieve specific environmental or social outcome. I love to travel and to meet new people and learn about their lives and their businesses. I am really excited to be in Rio to learn more about social enterprises from the entrepreneurs themselves and to spend time with people who are passionate about this exciting economic revolution.